The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday said it's shocked to learn of an attack near Pakistan's Karachi airport that killed Chinese nationals and expressed strong condemnation against the terrorist act.
The attack happened at about 11:00 p.m. local time on Sunday (1800 GMT) when a convoy from the Port Qasim Electric Power Company was attacked by terrorists near Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, the capital city of Pakistan's southern Sindh province.
Two Chinese nationals were killed and one Chinese national wounded. Several Pakistani nationals were killed and injured in the attack for which the banned outfit, Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday offered condolences and sympathies to the victims and their relatives. It asked Pakistan to thoroughly investigate the case, bring the culprits to justice, and severely punish the perpetrators.
It also urged Pakistan to take more targeted measures to ensure the safety of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Chinese personnel, projects and institutions on its soil.
"Attempts by terrorist forces to undermine mutual trust and cooperation between China and Pakistan and the CPEC will not succeed," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "China will continue to support Pakistan in its counter-terrorism campaign and stands ready to join hands with Pakistan to resolutely defeat any attempt to undermine China-Pakistan relations."